WCCA TV News and Information Round UP: September 2, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2015

MCC Approves $12M for Public Programs in the Arts, Sciences & Humanities

(Boston, MA)-The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) today approved a spending plan
for the coming year that will invest more than $12 million in grants to nonprofit
cultural organizations, local cultural councils, education programs, and working
artists across the Commonwealth.

MCC-s FY16 spending plan benefits from a $2 million increase to its state
appropriation, overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature last month. The increase
represented another important step toward restoring funding for the arts,
humanities, and sciences that was lost through recession-driven budget cuts. The MCC
Board voted unanimously to approve a plan that will invest in the following:

Nonprofit Cultural Organizations: $4.5 million – The Cultural Investment Portfolio (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAGkwAJBsc ) (CIP)
comprises 389 nonprofit arts, humanities, and science organizations across
Massachusetts. These organizations connect children and adults to theatre, music,
visual art, and film; teach them about history, literature, and the environment; and
introduce them to new languages and cultural traditions. Cultural Investment
Portfolio grants must be matched one to one, and range from $2,500 to $56,500. See
FY16 CIP funding list (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAIyQAJBsc ) .

Communities: $3 million – MCC-s 329 Local Cultural Councils (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAJ-gAJBsc ) (LCCs) make
up the largest public grassroots arts network in the nation. They provide funding to
every city and town in Massachusetts through the efforts of more than 2,300
volunteers. The councils support local arts and history, fund school field trips,
and sponsor local concerts and exhibitions. Grants to LCCs range from $4,400 for the
smallest towns to $117,400 for Springfield and $179,000 for Boston, according to a
formula that reflects the state’s local aid system. See FY16 LCC allocations (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAMYQAJBsc ) .

Creative Youth Development: $2.1 million – MCC works to expand access to quality,
creative learning experiences in school and community settings. This year-s budget
increase allows the agency to continue to deepen its investment in this work and
meet growing demand statewide.
* The YouthReach Initiative (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAO-AAJBsc ) makes
grants to cultural and community-based organizations to support in-depth arts,
humanities, and science programs for young people at risk. See FY16 YouthReach
funding list (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAQEwAJBsc ) .

* SerHacer ( http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAARKgAJBsc
) supports a growing number of intensive, ensemble-based music programs that use
music as a vehicle for youth development and social change. Through grants,
technical assistance, and project support the MCC will foster this emerging field
of music making in the Commonwealth. See FY16 SerHacer funding list (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAStAAJBsc ) .

* STARS Residencies (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAATxwAJBsc ) connect
artists, scientists and other creative teachers with elementary and secondary
schools for deep learning experiences that help students grow, develop new skills,
and expand their imaginations.

* Big Yellow School Bus (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAVjQAJBsc ) grants help
schools meet the transportation costs of educational field trips to cultural
institutions across Massachusetts.
* Poetry Out Loud (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAXBQAJBsc ) is a
national competition in which high school students memorize and perform classic and
contemporary poems and explore the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken work, and
theatre in their English and drama classes. Over ten years the Huntington Theatre
Co. has expanded this program to more than 50,000 Massachusetts students.

Creative Economy: $1 million – This includes new grants for state-designated
Massachusetts Cultural Districts (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAZowAJBsc ) , and a new
Festivals Program, along with the 10-year-old Adams Arts Program (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAadgAJBsc ) that
supports partnerships that use arts and culture to drive community development. And
the Cultural Data Project (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAbVgAJBsc ) , which
measures the economic impact of the nonprofit cultural sector. See FY16 Adams
funding list ( http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAcLAAJBsc
) .

UP Accessibility Program: $145,000 – UP (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAdZAAJBsc ) will support
the growth and development of organizations that recognize the power of inclusive
design to grow audiences and enhance cultural experiences for all, and that embrace
inclusivity as core to their mission.

Artist Fellowships: $441,000 – This year MCC celebrates 40 years of support for
working artists through its Artist Fellowships (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAfmQAJBsc ) . Additional
funds allow MCC to boost Artist Fellowships in a range of disciplines to $12,000.

Mass Humanities: $528,420 – The MCC provides an annual partnership grant to Mass
Humanities ( http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAhSAAJBsc )
, which supports public programs in history, literature, and other humanities
disciplines to enhance and improve civic life in the Commonwealth.

New England Foundation for the Arts: $50,000 – The MCC continues its investment in
the New England Foundation for the Arts (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAjDgAJBsc ) ,
collaborating on mutually supportive activities that serve the citizens of
Massachusetts and provide opportunities for Mass. artists, presenters, and
communities to benefit from programs that serve the six New England states and
beyond.

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The MCC is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, to improve
the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. It pursues its mission
through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural
organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC’s total budget for the current
fiscal year is $15.7 million, which includes annual grants from the National
Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, please visit
www.massculturalcouncil.org (
http://masscultural.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AMET5j4ADgABAAAmlAAJBsc ) .

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Massachusetts Receives $500,000 Grant to Boost State Exports

BOSTON – On Wednesday, September 2nd at 2:15PM, Secretary Jay Ash of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
and Senior Officials from the SBA will convene a joint press event to announce
increased funding to increase Massachusetts export sales.

The Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) was awarded a
$500,000 State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant through the SBA that will
enable MOITI (in collaboration with the MA Export Center and Massachusetts Small
Business Development Center Network), to reimburse eligible Massachusetts small
businesses for qualified export-promotion expenses including trade show
participation, overseas marketing and localization, and subscription services from
the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Media Invited to Attend
Who:

* Jay Ash, Secretary, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of
Housing and Economic Development

* Nam Pham, Assistant Secretary of Business Development and International
Trade, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Housing and Economic
Development

* Seth Goodall, SBA New England Regional Administrator

* Robert Nelson, SBA Massachusetts District Director

What: Announcing a $500,000 SBA grant received by the Massachusetts Office of
International Trade and Investment (MOITI)
Where: MA State House, Governor’s Press Conference Room (157)
When: Wednesday, September 2nd 2015 at 2:15pm

# # #

Brookline Public Access fights for a just renewal

Dear Friend, BIG still needs your support at the second public hearing regarding the
Town’s renegotiation with Comcast. Can you write a letter and/or come show your
support at a public hearing that will support the future of community media and BIG
in Brookline for the upcoming hearing on Wednesday, September 16th at 7pm at
Brookline Town Hall?
Below you will find links to our flyer and a FAQ about these hearings, held by the
Town, in support of its upcoming negotiation with Comcast. Please RSVP or direct any
questions to:
mailto:kathy@brooklineinteractive.org
kathy@ brooklineinteractive.org.
http://brooklineinteractive.org/files/FAQ.pdf

We are focusing our specific requests
around the asks for Comcast below, but please share anything about why supporting
continued funding for community media in Brookline, and why BIG’s services are
important to you and to our community.
Each speaker will have 3-5 mins, and it’s perfectly fine to read from a letter of
support. The goal is to get testimony on the public record so that Comcast can’t say
the community did not ask for these important items during the process.
– Full operational and capital funding for community media in Brookline (BIG) based
on community need (let the Town know why you value BIG’s resources, staff,
services, educational programs, equipment, trainings, cable channels, use of BIG’s
space and facilities, etc)
– Inclusion in Comcast’s Program Guide (detailed program listings for BIG) &
Funding for Closed Captioning

– Provide Community Channels in HD to Brookline (Many cities and towns are now
getting HD from Comcast….Philadelphia, Manhattan, Portland and Eugene OR,
Longmeadow, MA, and others)Thank you for your continued support of community media
in Brookline!
Warmly,Kathy –Kathy Bisbee Executive Director, Brookline Interactive Group (BIG)

Home

www.brooklineinteractive.org

GOOD LUCK KATHY, We hope your town administration understands the value and strategic benefits of public access.

# # #

JOB NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/2/15

Contact:Janice Weekes Director, Workforce Central Career Center, 508-373-7628
weekesj@workforcecentralma.org

Worcester Common to host 3rd Annual UnCommon Job Fair

WHO: City of Worcester; Workforce Central Career Centers;
Central MA Workforce Investment Board; Veterans, Inc.; SnapChef; Grafton Job Corps

WHAT: Approximately 70 employers with hundreds of available jobs
will participate in the 2015 UnCommon Job Fair. Last year’s event attracted close to
900 local job seekers.

WHERE: Worcester Common, behind Worcester City Hall, 455 Main St.

WHEN: Friday September 4th from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Rain date:
Friday, September 18th same time and location)

WHY: With the unemployment rate in Worcester County (*5.2
percent) remaining higher than the state average (*4.9 percent), and many job
seekers still struggling to find gainful employment, the UnCommon Job Fair allows
people looking for their next opportunity a chance to connect with area employers
looking to hire.

DETAILS: The UnCommon Job Fair is a unique variation on the
traditional job fair format and offers businesses and job seekers a more relaxed
environment to connect and network.
*Mass.gov Labor Information:
http://lmi2.detma.org/lmi/lmi_lur_b.asp?A=04&GA=000027&TF=1&Y=&Sopt=&Dopt=TEXT

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INDIE MUSIC ARTIST TESTIMONIAL: WCCA TV , Worcester’s longest running and most prestigious network for music talent helps promote and encourage music innovation and the creative economy.

An artist, featured on Video Jam, wrote
the show to say thank you .

” Hi there Tracy ( producer of Video JAM ),
I hope this email finds you and the team at Video Jam doing well and enjoying the summer!
I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you so much for showing my video for “I Wanna Be Famous” some love and for giving us some wonderful exposure recently. Myself and the director worked very hard on our labor of love and we sure appreciate the coverage.
Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend!
Cariad ”

Thanks for sharing your music with Worcester and the world. As they say make music not war ! Get your talent seen in the spot light it deserves contact mauro@wccatv.com .

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Have a nice day !